The Fallout of War

Chapter 15, No Broken Bones

"Cait! Cait!" He eased her to the ground. His heart was pounding in his chest with fear. He laid her head gently upon the ground then sped around the vehicle for the pouch Preston had given her. Racing back he turned it upside down dumping it's contents till a stempack spilled out. He snatched it up and kneeling down lifted her head into his lap as he pressed the stempak to her neck.

"Come on Cait! Cait!" his voice was a mere whisper he felt so choked up. So much blood! I can't even see the wound. If the bullet went into her brain! He tore a piece of his coat free and started wiping at the blood, searching for the wound.

The stempak was already at work when he discovered a long ragged cut across her forehead where the bullet had grazed her deeply, but had not entered and lodged. His whole body sagged in relief. The cut began to close even as he continued wiping the blood gently from her face. She'll have a nice pink scar, but nothing another stempak wouldn't fix.

Finally her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him trying to focus. "Well hello handsome." she said groggily. He smiled down at her thankfully. It took a moment to really grasp things and she looked questioningly up at him. "Why are you so pale MacCready?" He was still trying to calm his heart rate and his voice held a slight tremor. "You were shot Cait. You scared the he... heck out of me."

Her green eyes growing brighter by the minute saw the bloody rag he still gripped in his hand and she lifted her own to touch her forehead. "Oh yeah." She sat up. "Easy Cait. You're gonna have a headache still for a bit." "It's nothing I can't handle. Had worse after a round or two in the Cage at the Combat Zone."

Her comment brought a frown to MacCready's features, but she missed it as she turned to look at the raider's body in the street. "Well I see you blew the bastards head off for it so I wouldn't have to." MacCready could only grin. "So we gonna go loot the bastards or sit here all day?" Cait said as she started getting up. Oh yes. Cait was gonna be just fine. "We'll split it even." MacCready remarked as he rose with her.

After looting the bodies they ransacked the building the raiders had used as a base. MacCready's eyes kept wandering toward Cait as if he worried she might still tumble over from her wound any minute. They would grin at each other with each new stash they found of ammo, caps or beer, which they each popped open and drank down. Then they found a safe and he just loved the way Cait cracked it open with ease, it was like pure artistry.

There was a pleasant comradery between them as they left Lexington behind and were once more on Kellogg's trail. Walking side by side Cait glanced over at him with a cheeky grin, "You were really scared for me back there, weren't ye Cowboy?" MacCready feigned indifference, "Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't." Of course I was. I've only been that scared a few times that I can remember for someone I...

MacCready stopped in his tracks realizing where his thoughts were taking him. Cait had stopped also and turned back to look at him, "I've seen the way you been lookin at me. I'm not sayin I don't like it. I'm just cle..." MacCready took the two steps that separated them, grabbed her face in his hands and brought his lips down on hers. When he finally lifted his head, his arms were holding her tight against him and he saw her eyes had darkened and were glazed, though that quickly dissipated.

He could see her mind working as she stared up at him and waited for the broken nose he expected or to be tossed into the dirt. He was surprised when she spoke, though still in her stern tone, but softer, "An I'm supposin you think you can ask me to shag now which is gonna get ye a kick..." He cut her off, "You can threaten me all you want Cait, but I'm not going to back off like all the other men you've run off. This might not be the right place or time, but I "will" ask when it is. And just so there would be no doubt, he kissed her again.

When he lifted his head this time it took a bit longer for Cait to come out of her daze before asking a little breathless, "An since when did you get so assertive?" He smiled down at her, his darkened green eyes matching hers. "About twenty minutes ago when I realized you had pick pocketed half my bottle caps." He teased her, which earned him a punch in the chest that would leave only a small bruise.

"We better get going if we're going to make Malden before dark." She nodded grinning up at him and they turned to head out with MacCready leaving one arm still draped across her shoulders and thankful he had no broken bones.

Late afternoon was drifting into early evening as Cait and MacCready squatted behind a cement wall staring at the ruins of the Malden Middle School. Kellogg's trail had led them here and the discussion at hand was what to do next. "Vault 75 is in the basement. I've been in there before. We're gonna need some help Cait. Kellogg had Gen 2s and Coursers with him. No way we can do this alone. We make it down that elevator and those doors could open to a full fire fight. It would be suicide."

Cait was disgruntled to say the least. "I know you're right. Just havin come this far, I hate havin to back off. Country Crossing isn't far, I guess we could go there and radio Preston for help." "Sounds like a plan."

They both jumped as a grenade exploded which sounded like it was just a few blocks away. It was followed by a roar everyone in the Commonwealth knew well. "That came from the direction of Country Crossing. Think they are under attack?" Cait stood up looking in the direction of the explosion.

A couple moments later gun fire was heard and the roar again. MacCready rose to stand beside her as they both looked at each other. "Shall we?" He grinned. Cait nodded and they both took off heading around the backside of the Middle School. Cait and MacCready followed the roars and what had now increased to multiple gun fire. It was an unexpected discovery to find their friends fighting the deathclaw and they quickly joined the battle.

About the time they were joining the battle against the deathclaw, two figures reached the Malden Middle School ruins; One in power armor, the other being pulled along behind. Both disappeared inside.